Joseph P. Lash Papers | Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Collection Overview

Title: Joseph P. Lash Papers

Extent: 46.44 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The Lash papers are divided into four series: General Correspondence 1933-1987; Youth Organizations and Activities; Diaries, Notes, Speeches and Writings; and Clippings.

Abstract

The Joseph Lash papers include material relating to Lash’s involvement in political activist groups, friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, and journalism career. The papers range in date from 1933-1987 and the majority of the material postdates 1940.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consist of correspondence and printed material relating to Lash’s involvement with various student political organizations. Included are reference material and drafts written by Lash for his biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt and other published works. His papers also contain transcripts of interviews with people of interest to Lash and the majority of the material relates to his interest in politics and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Collection Historical Note

Joseph Lash, political activist and journalist, was best known for his biographies of Eleanor Roosevelt, one of which, Eleanor and Franklin, won a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1972. Born to Russian-Jewish immigrants in New York City, Lash received his Bachelor’s degree from City College and a Master’s from Columbia University. As a student, he actively campaigned for an American socialist revolution, the abolition of mandatory military training, and the Student League for Industrial Democracy. He also founded the Association of Unemployed College Alumni and served as an officer in the American Student Union. Lash’s anti-war, anti-fascism convictions were shaken by Hitler’s rise to power and Stalin’s Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact. He then aligned himself with the anti-communist American liberals. In 1939, Lash was subpoenaed before the House Un-American Activities Committee to testify about communist infiltration of the American Youth Congress. Lash captivated the First Lady’s attention and became a lifelong friend and trusted advisor. In November 1944, Lash married Trude Wenzel Pratt.

Administrative Information

Repository: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum

Access Restrictions: Material that constitutes an unwarranted invasion of privacy has been closed

Use Restrictions: Copyright interests in the material have been donated to the United States Government.

Acquisition Source: Joseph and Trude Lash

Acquisition Method: The papers were donated to the Library by Mr. and Mrs. Lash.

Related Materials: Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, OF 444, National Youth Administration, OF 3910: American Youth Congress, PPF 6881: Joseph Lash, PPF 5057: American Student Union, PPF 2282: American Youth Congress, PPF 7180: International Student Service of the United States.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General Correspondence, 1933-1987],
[Series 2: Youth Organizations and Activities],
[Series 3: Diaries, Notes, Speeches, and Writings],
[Series 4: Clippings],
[All]

Series 1: General Correspondence, 1933-1987

The General Correspondence series consists of both incoming and outgoing correspondence, which is arranged alphabetically by subject or surname of correspondent.

Box 1

Ab-Al
Alexander, Jane, 1976-1982
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1974-1983
Am
Am- Au
American Committee for Iberian Freedom, 1976-1977
American Foundation for the Blind, 1980-1985
American Newspaper Guild, 1982
American Student Union, National Reunion, 1986
American Veterans Committee, 1944-1959
Americans for Democratic Action, 1948-1982
Ames, Evelyn, 1933-1934
Andre Deutsch, Ltd., 1973-1981
Ascoli , Max, 1948-1954

Box 2

Authors Guild, 1976-1985
Authors League of America, 1981-1984
Ba-Bl
Baldwin, Roger, 1940-1972
Baldwin Book, 1971-1972
Bernard, Burton C., 1975
Bernard, Viola W., 1971-1983
Bette lheim, Fred, 1976-1986
Biles, Eleanor M., 1981
Blinken, Marcy, 1982
Bo-Bra
Bre-Bu

Box 3

Ca-Ci
Campobello, 1966 and 1984
Cardozo, Nancy, undated
Caro, Robert, 1973-1986
Century Association, 1980-1987
The Christophers, 1981-1983
City College of New York, 1940-1986
City College of New York - Lincoln Brigade Memorial, 1938-1981
Cl-Con
Clark, Harold, 1982
Cochrane, Louise Morley, 1941-1972 and undated
Cohen, Benjamin C., 1954-1982
Cohn, Dr. Alfred E., 1940-1944
Collier, Fred, 1980-1986
Columbia University, 1935-1986
Commission to Study the Organization of Peace, 1961-1973
Coo-Cz
Corr, Maureen, 1965-1984

Box 4

Da-De
Delibert, Anne and Joe (JPL's Sister), 1959-1982 and undated
Di-Dw
Doubleday and Company (1), 1946-1987
Doubleday and Company (2), 1946-1987
Doubleday and Company (3), 1946-1987
Doubleday and Company (4), 1946-1987
Doubleday and Company (5), 1946-1987
Doubleday and Company (6), 1946-1987
Drewry, Elizabeth (See also Franklin D. Roosevelt Library), 1969-1985
Duell, Sloan and Pierce, Inc., 1940 and 1950

Box 5

E
Edwards, George and Peg, 1936-1984
Eleanor Roosevelt Centennial, 1983-1984
Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill, 1978-1981
Electronic Publishing Project, 1983
Fa-Fl
Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1940-1981

Box 6

Feuer, Lewis, 1933-1985
Field, Ruth, 1981
Fischer, George, 1946-1948
Fo
Fr-Fu
Franklin Library, 1975-1987
Franklin Mint, 1972-1984
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, 1962-1986
Ga-Gos
G.K. Hall, 1983-1984

Box 7

Gou-Gu
G.I. Book, 1943-1944
Gray, David, 1961-1964
Green, Gilbert, 1958-1959
Greenbaum, Wolff, and Ernst, 1950-1981
Greenwood Reprint Corporation, 1967-1968
Grolier, 1975 and 1982
Gua1tiere, Albie and Sharla, 1973-1975
Guggenheim Foundation, 1940 and 1978-1979
Gurewitsch, David and Edna, 1950-1984
Ha-He
Hadassah Magazine, 1972
Hagen, Paul, 1942-1947
Halsted, Anna R. and James, 1964-1975
Harper's Magazine, 1952-1963
Harris, Louis (1), 1942-1987
Harris, Louis (2), 1948-1987

Box 8

Harrison, Gil, 1944-1966
Harrower , Dr. Molly, 1972-1973
Harvard University, 1940-1982
Henrikson, Alan K., 1981
Herling , John, 1940-1986
Hi-Hy
Houghton-Mi ff lin Company, 1976
Humphrey, Hubert, 1959-1960
Hunter College, 1973-1974
I-J
IREX Conference, May 10, 1979-May 13, 1979
International Student Service, 1940
John F. Kennedy Library, 1973-1982
Johnson, Alvin, 1942
Ka-Ke
Kahn, David, 1980-1987
Keyserling, Leon, 1978-1984

Box 9

Kh - Ku
Kisor , Henry, 1980-1982
Knight Realty, 1979-1985
La
Lape, Esther, 1964-1975
Lash, Aaron and Family (JPL's Brother), 1965-1985 and undated
Lash , Elsie (JPL's Sister), 1944-1964
Lash, Jonathan and Family (JPL's son), 1963-1984
Lash, Joseph and Trude (Pratt), 1940-1986
Lash , Joseph and Trude - Automobile Accident, 1952
Lash, Joseph -Badges , Membership Cards, Invitations, and Memorabilia
Lash, Joseph - Biographical Data

Box 10

Lash, Joseph - Conver t ing House, 1954-1957
Lash , Joseph - Military Files, 1942-1946
Lash, Joseph - Receipts
Lash, Joseph - Trips
Europe, 1953 and 1960
England, 1978-1979
Russia, 1978-1979
Lash, Mary (JPL's Mother), 1942
Lash , Nancy (JPL's First Wife), 1940

Box 11

Lawrence , Merloyd and Sam, 1978-1986
Le-Ll
Lerner, Max, 1940-1982
Levine, Marguerite, 1980-1987
Levy, David and Adele, 1942-1960
Library of Congress, 1983-1984
Linaka House, Hyde Park, NY, 1951-1955
Linden and Deutsch, 1983-1986
Lo-Ly

Box 12

Me-Mac
McGhee, Steve, 1962-1963
Ma-Me
Mann, Carolyn, 1987
Marist College Commencement, 1984
Marist College Symposium, 1973
Mi-Mu
Milford, Nancy, 1976
Miller, Earl, 1941-1971
Mondale, Walter F., 1973-1984
Morgenthau, Henry III, 1960-1982
Morton, Helen, 1940
Murray, Pauli, 1971-1985
Muskie, Stephen O., 1981-1982
Na
Nathan Mayhew Seminars, 1982-1983
National Council for the Social Studies, 1984
National Student Federation, 1940
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., 1980-1985
Ne-No

Box 13

New American Library, 1957-1976
New Leader, 1960-1983
New Republic, 1940-1975
New York League for the Hard of Hearing, 1982-1984
New York Post, 1937-1980 and undated
New York State - Eleanor Roosevelt Exhibit, 1984
New York Times, 1941-1973
New York University, 1940-1986
Norman, Dorothy, 1948-1983
Norton and Company, 1970-1971

Box 14

Norton and Company (1), 1972-1984
Norton and Company (2), 1972-1984
Norton and Company (3), 1972-1984
Norton and Company (4), 1972-1984
Norton and Company (5), 1972-1984
O
Oral History Association, 1973
Overlook, Dorothy, 1941 and undated
Pa-PM

Box 15

Pepperwood Productions, Inc., 1980
Perkins, Louis Raymond, 1977-1978
Peterson, Cecil, 1954-1986
Piechowski, Michael, 1981-1985
Po-Pu
Pratt Family, 1967-1986
Public Record Office, 1975-1977
Publications Research, Inc., 1940
Pulitzer Prizes, 1979
Q
Ra-Ri
Rapport, Ruth, 1984
Rauh, Joseph, 1958-1987
Reynolds, Agnes, 1939-1940
Rifkin, Leo, 1970
Ro-Ry
Roazen, Paul, 1976-1984
Roosevelt, Dorothy, 1972 and 1985

Box 16

Roosevelt, Elliott, 1946
Roosevelt Family, 1949-1958
Roosevelt, Franklin D. - Centennial and Clippings, 1981-1982
Roosevelt, Franklin D., Jr., 1940-1987
Roosevelt, Franklin D. III, 1964-1980
Roosevelt Study Center, 1986
Rosenbaum, Robert, 1936-1939
Rosenman, Samuel I., 1940-1972
Ross, Irwin, 1940-1985
Rubin, Jami, 1985

Box 17

Sa-Se
Samuel Eliot Morison Award, 1977
Sandifer, Irene, 1973-1975
Saturday Review, 1940-1952
Scarlett, Bishop Will, 1962-1985
Scattergood, Henry and Sally, 1968-1987
Schiff, Dorothy, 1950-1982
Schlesinger, Arthur, Jr., 1947-1985
Schrager, Maxie, 1969 and undated
Sh-Sn
Shreve, L.G., 1944-1945
Siffert, Robert and Mimi, 1941-1982
Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1949-1981
Sirevag, Torbjorn, 1969
Society of American Historians, Inc., 1974-1981
Speer, Robert, 1944-1952
Spivak, Robert, 1940-1970
So-Sz
Starobin, Joseph and Norma, 1957-1978
State Department - Letters of Introduction, 1941
Stevenson, Adlai E., 1956-1972
Stix, Thomas L., 1962-1972
Strevig, Elizabeth, 1940-1941

Box 18

Suzman , Dr. Moses, 1976-1984
Sweetland, Monroe, 1937-1956
T
Talent Associates, 1974-1976
Theoharis, Athan, 1982
Thomas, Norman, 1936-1937
Tillich, Paul, 1943-1962
U
Union for Democratic Action, 1941-1946
Union for Democratic Action - Educational Fund, Inc., 1944-1962
United Nations, 1952-1986
University Guild, 1974
Univers i ty Publications, 1985-1986
V
Vassar College, 1944-1984
Veterans of World War II , Inc., 1944-1945 and undated
Voss, Carl, 1949-1972

Box 19

Wa- We
Walker, Harry, 1971-1972
Warm Springs, 1972
Washington Navy Yard, 1974-1977
Washington Post, 1973-1987
Watseka, Joe, 1940-1941
Wechsler , James and Nancy, 1941-1985
Weiner , Freda, 1980-1983
WGBH-Wi
White, Dorothy, 1973-1974
Wiggins , Lee, 1940-1941
William E. Wiener Oral History Committee, 1983-1985
Williams, Aubrey, 1940
Williams, Carol T., 1984
WNEW-WPBT
Women' s Democratic Club, 1980
Wr - Wy

Box 20

Writers Room (1), 1978-1987
Writers Room (2)
X-Y-Z
Yale University, 1976-1987
Yanovsky, Zal, 1966-1970
Yard, Florence, 1938-1943 and undated
Yard, Molly, 1938-1942, 1982 and undated
Yarmon, Morton, 1942-1945
Young Democrats, 1946 and 1949
Unidentified and Incomplete Signatures

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: General Correspondence, 1933-1987],
[Series 2: Youth Organizations and Activities],
[Series 3: Diaries, Notes, Speeches, and Writings],
[Series 4: Clippings],
[All]